Pressure Sores

[Helen928]

I am looking for someone with experience in handling pressure sores at home and when it should be time to get into a hospital before it is too late.

My son, 38 years old, is a quadraplegic and has had several surgeries on his backside for pressure sores and is to the point of no return.  His skin has been used to the point that there is not enough to use for another surgery.

Presently he has another pressure sore that must have started when he was last in the local hospital here. It has been watched by the private care nurse but now has increased in size to where it is not going to heal. The VA is involved...gets pictures of it and advises the treatment which now is pouring bleach over the wound & using maxi pads to cover it.

He does have the special matress that constantly moves but he was not complying with the laying down in the afternoons to relieve the pressure while in his power chair.  He also stayed up several times all night so is his own worst enemy.  He fees his chair lays back far enough to take the pressure off of this bottom but it doen't.

He presently is supposed to be in bed all the time other than one hour up for each meal.  I do not know if he is totally compliying with this.

He did arrange to get his hair washed...has not been complying with his bathing...bed baths...no safe way to bathe him at home.

I feel he was at a point of giving up and let what happens happen.  Then he rallied around again with the necessary things he is to do to promote healing but it might be too late.

The last time he was discharged from the VA Hospital they felt he shouldn't go home because he needed 24 hour care still....he told me that he would rather die sooner than be in a nursing home.

This is where we are now...the special nurse comes every day to change the dressing and do the treatment but it is time to make a decision...the VA is working with our oldest daughter that lives in Seattle...is an attorney and has been his contact person for his care while in the VA Hospital....attends all of his care plan meetings.

I just wonder if anyone out there has had simular problems while home and how it has been handled.  It sounds like most of you back in 2007 were pretty active so that would prevent the dreaded pressure sores...I have a hard time finding recent posts....so hope someone will see this.

I am overwhelmed by all of this although I have prepared myself for the early death of my son due to all of the problems he has had and his determination to do it his way...I cannot change him...so just do what I can to help and that is it.  It is hard being a Mom and not being able to hug and cuddle my adult son...he does tell me often that he loves me which is priceless to me.

Helen928

[Jilly]

Hi Helen,
I work as a caregiver in a small hospital providing residental care for the elderly. I dont know much about pressure sore care at home but imagine it must be pretty much the same as in a hospital situation.

Im afraid the only way to cure a pressure sore is to keep the pressure OFF it! Or better still dont let them form in the first place.

Our patients sometimes get pressure sores forming on their bottoms from almost constant sitting, then they have total bedrest and are turned side to side every two hours. The only time they are sitting with pressure on their bottoms is when eating or drinking then they are positioned OFF their bottoms as soon as they are finished eating.
The sores have dressings etc of course but we never let them get so bad that they need anything like bleach poured on them!!!

I HATE pressure sores with a vengance! They are so easily avoided!!! If your son wants to be rid of them then he is going to have to take some responsibility and keep off the affected areas! Theres no point in suddenly taking the measures for promoting healing when things get bad if he wont maintain them.

I wouldnt worry too much about bed baths not being enough, but he does need to make sure his skin is keeping clean and healthy in the areas where he is constatly getting sores. He only has one backside and spends a lot of time on it! He needs to look after it.

I know I havent been a heck of a lot of help, but Im not a nurse. Where I work caregivers arent allowed anywhere near wounds and dressings but Ive watched and assisted the nurses hundreds of times. Pressure sores are preventable, but when they do form they take a hell of a lot of healing.